We admire the physique of athletes. But one of the main advantages of the winners is what we do not see – their psychological endurance.It is fact that a athlete can go far beyond their physical abilities. But what distinguishes truly successful athletes from the rest is the knowledge of how to use your own mind.According to experts, you can increase your psychological endurance with training – just like physical strength. In addition, mental endurance has many uses. This quality is necessary not only for athletes, it can help musicians, actors, writers or people who simply set a certain task.How can you improve your psychological toughness before the next competition or presentation at work? Below are the tips that will be useful for both Olympic athletes and office workers.
1. Think PositivelySelf-confidence is probably the most important psychological characteristic that everyone should possess. Self-confidence is not only related to physical abilities but it also strengthens your mental abilities. It all depends on what you think about yourself. If you keep saying “I can never do this” before your huge presentation then you will not be able to do it. Whatever you say to yourself, but if you repeat certain statements enough times, it will become a reality.If you heard yourself saying any negative about yourself, correct it. Get used to the conscious creation of positive thoughts.
Give up negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones – this will have a real impact on your life. 2. Use visualizationVisualization is a common technique for managing stress . When you experience excessive stress, imagine yourself in calm, soothing place. Using this “video series” within a few minutes, you can more effectively cope with stress. Visualization can give you a mental space for rehearsing what you want.You can visualize your past achievements. It’s like watching a movie you make in your own thoughts.
Focus on how beautifully you felt during the past event, and remember that feeling in the slightest detail.3. Plan for failuresSometimes it happens that you are not even close to the success but that doesn’t mean that you can never be. According to Korb, one of the characteristics that distinguishes successful athletes is their ability to stand on their feet after a failure. They do not lose control of themselves.Again, this ability does not need to be innate – it’s a skill you can learn. How can you restore concentration when things go wrong? You need to practice different ways and find one that works.There is no method that is effective for everyone.
Some people have “ritual” some have a specific phrase, which they repeat to themselves. Some people sing certain song in the mind – if they cannot recover from the failure. The other takes 30 seconds to do a series of deep breaths-exhalations.The bottom line is to know what to do when the situation gets out of hand. Having a plan that you can apply right on the spot – even if it’s just a word that you are repeating to yourself – will increase your self-confidence.
5. Sleep moreNot only sleep helps you recover physically – it gives the body time to recover from mental stress. Studies have shown that lack of sleep can increase the reaction time, and you lose precious fractions of a second in decision making.How many hours of sleep do you need? Normally, the duration of sleep should be at least seven to nine hours – and more if you are under stress.
